30 Paintings From Thrift Stores And Garage Sales That Were Upgraded By Other Artists (New Pics)

I have always been amazed by painters. As someone who would struggle to draw a convincing still life of a bowl of fruit, I am blown away by the creativity and artistic vision some people naturally have. And apparently, it’s not just a small handful of people who have an eye for putting their own flair on a piece of art, because the Repaintings subreddit has nearly 540k members at the moment. The group’s description is straightforward: “Find a painting at a garage sale, thrift store, or in the trash and repaint it. Add some monsters! Add a UFO! Some lazers? Don't mind if I do! Post the results. Before and After pics appreciated. No digital works allowed, only traditionally repainted works with real physical paint.”

But those simple guidelines are enough to inspire countless pieces of art. Many of the paintings end up getting a comedic twist by having dinosaurs or monsters added to them, but even those additions require great artistic skill. The requirement to use “real physical paint” keeps the pieces authentic and demonstrates that each of these artists really know what they’re doing.

Part of the fun of repaintings is hearing where all of the artwork comes from. Maybe it was sitting on a shelf at Goodwill for 6 months before someone came along and rescued it. Perhaps it was found on the curb outside of someone’s home doomed to a life at the landfill. Or maybe it came from your grandmother’s attic. There are infinite places artists can search for paintings to provide make-overs to including Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, and of course, local thrift stores.

The hunt is half of the experience because artists never know what they’re going to make next until inspiration strikes. Popular additions to paintings seem to be rollercoasters, monsters, UFOs, cartoon characters and skeletons, but the options are endless. Even text can be added to turn a painting into more of a meme or a statement. A simple depiction of a child can become much edgier if the kid is given the eyes of a demon, or a painting of a lake can become more adorable with a hot air balloon addition. An artist can turn the meaning of any piece on its head just by adding a few brush strokes.

There are plenty of ways artists can upgrade a piece of thrift store art. From adding some paint to replacing the frame, it might be easier than you think to turn a simple piece into something you are proud to display on the wall. Valerie Ott at The Spruce even wrote a piece detailing all of her favorite “Ways to Update Your Wall Art”, so in combination with all of these paintings from Repaintings, Valerie’s tips might give you the added boost of inspiration you need to head over to your local thrift store and pick something out you want to put your own spin on. 

One of her recommendations is the “paint by number art hack”. This is a great tip for people who might not be as confident in their artistic abilities. Valerie explains that, “By painting over an old-fashioned still-life, a trendy paint-by-number effect takes shape. This technique allows you to customize the colors in a piece of art to suit your taste, and it gives a more modern look to the painting overall. Best of all, you don't need any artistic ability to pull this off.”

Another idea Valerie gives readers is to add some sparkles to a boring piece of art. Glitter always makes everything better, right? Valerie explains that this idea is similar to the “paint by number” hack, but “it gets a little more bling thanks to metallic gold paint”. “You could also add gold leaf to give a glamorous touch to an old landscape or even a black and white photograph. And remember it doesn't have to be gold paint—look at the tones in the art you're working with and consider silver, bronze, or even a metallic-infused shade of blue or pink, which will be even more unexpected in its appeal.” This is an easy trick to try because it maintains the integrity of the original piece but still gives it new life. Plus, sparkles just make everything more fun.

Another creative idea Valerie suggests is the “thrift store silhouette hack”. Essentially, this includes leaving a silhouette shape, or any shape you desire really, of the original painting and covering the rest in one color. It could be a black outline and a silhouette of a tree in the middle or a gold outline with a leaf-shaped image from the original piece displayed, for example. By allowing some of the original artwork to peek through a new shape, you are putting your own artistic spin on a piece while still having fun with it. Perhaps you could even turn the painting into the shape of a UFO or alien as well, if you want to take a more alternative approach.

One of Valerie’s other suggestions is very similar to what many of the members of Repaintings have done: “completely re-imagining the Bob Ross-like scene of a thrift store or garage sale painting by adding in whimsical elements of your own”. A scenic painting of a lake or a forest is a great canvas for you to add in unexpected elements. The painting can receive a comedic twist by plopping one of your favorite cartoon characters into the mix or a spookier take by adding ghosts and monsters chilling by the lake. Anything that is out of place can be a refreshing twist on a beautiful painting that just needs a new lease on life.  

Something else that can upgrade a painting is adding a bit of texture to it. This type of artwork might not be as common in the Repaintings subreddit, but artists can add anything to a canvas nowadays. Fabric, limbs from old dolls, cutlery, feathers, marbles, you name it. If it’s an inanimate object, you can stick it to a canvas. Even elements of the original painting can be given 3-d upgrades like covering plants with plastic versions and buildings with materials that have the same texture. A boring old painting can be transformed into an interactive piece of art that viewers are encouraged to touch or play with. It’s a step further than painting, but it’s just another idea for re-imagining an old piece.